The Goddaughter in Ravenclaw 8
by LaGO-GO
Summary: Ian reveals his dark past to Gaele, as they share their views on the psyche of people.


Disclaimer: Do I have to repeat myself?

BRADLEY: Ian Bradley's trauma

"So what's been going on with you and Bradley?" Lisa asked of Gaele on Sunday afternoon, when they were out walking around the lake.

"I'm going with him to the dance." Gaele responded.

"So he got to you? Wow, I'm stoked; then again, he is a very good looking guy. You have an exquisite taste."

Gaele laughed. 'I just have to get a dress now. I don't own any.

"I'll lend you one, I have to own many. My mother insist that I use one every weekend during summer vacations, when we have family gatherings."

"And I thought I was the rich girl."

"Maybe that's why we get along. We both have royal ties that attract each other."

"I suppose." Gaele said. " Who are you going with anyway?"

"Blaise Zabinni."

"That's gonna rev up Anthony."

"You think so?"

"Oh, I know so." Gaele reassured.

They lay on the grass looking up at the cloud filled sky that predicted rain, for the next two months.

"So what are two lovely ladies doing laying on the grass on this cold afternoon?" Ian asked sitting next to Gaele.

"it's not that cold." Gaele said, smiling.

"It's lovely weather actually. My favorite." Lisa said sitting up.

"Lisa, Ian. Ian Lisa. Of course you both already new this. Feel free to shake hands or whatever."

Ian chuckled.

"Well it's getting late, I'm gonna go to bed now." Lisa said, leaving Ian and Gaele alone. Ian lay down next to Gaele.

"Did I make her feel uncomfortable? It's barely six-thirty."

"No, and you shouldn't be complaining. This is the whole deal with us "being together", remember". We spend sometime alone and you know act like a couple. Come on haven't you ever had a girlfriend?" Gaele asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh. That's right. I completely forgot. Who is she going with?"

"Lisa is going to the ball with Zabinni."

"Really I thought she would be going with Goldstein."

"They are always in a big argument. They're never at peace with each other. But this is a scam of hers. She can easily make him jealous. After all she is a beautiful girl."

"Yeah. Which reminds me, we didn't go to Hogsmead, what are you wearing."

"Lisa is lending me a dress, don't worry I will not go to the dance in jeans and converse. I guess I'll be browsing through her dresses tonight."

"Light pink would be very becoming on you I think."

Gaele laughed, "I'll make sure I get that one if she is not wearing it."

"I think she'd look good in olive green, that'd make her eyes stand out."

"I'll make sure to mention that."

"Maybe you should tell me about things you like, since we are "dating". What if someone comes up to me and asks about you. I wouldn't know what to say."

"Okay, maybe you should know that I enjoy muggle music very much. My favorite bands are: Band of Horses, The Walkmen, The Velvet Underground, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, Radiohead, Gang of Four. Those are just a few. I love Frozen Yogurt. I dislike gowns; due to the fact that I don't look good in them. I detest heels. So know that I will be very uncomfortable the day of the dance, and I enjoy bike rides on windy days. Oh! And my name is Gaele Reeds, muggle-born, house-Ravenclaw, grade-"

"Okay, I know that. now my turn. My name is Ian Bradley. I love Quidditch. Hate cockiness. Love Cheesecake. Fan of the Chudley Cannons. I like music, but no specifics. I hate dress robes, they choke me. I love my broomstick, and I am terrified of Fawcett."

"Why are you so scared of her?"

"She is a cocky- Well you fill in the blank."

"Bitch."

"I just don't like her attitude. It's very annoying."

"What's more is that people all fall for it." Gaele added.

"Exactly! Can't people realize that she is just as mortal and human as anyone else. She's no veela."

"you must be really disgusted by her."

"She is beautiful, but she demeans. And I think that is the most cowardly way to make your way-

-through life." Gaele finished. "I understand. What you mean. I demean, but not in that sense."

"Of course you don't. She does it to everyone. Whether she knows them or not. It's like she feeds off of that."

"Wow, you really made her sound like a monster."

Ian laughed.

They stared at the sky and only a few minutes later, Ian took his hand under Gaele's neck and brought her close to him. "I guess I could tell you something that I've only told a few."

Gaele pulled away and leaned on her elbow looking at his calm face with his closed eyes.

"if you must." Gaele said.

"I want to. I'm sure I can trust in you."

Gaele kept quiet and Ian went ahead and started talking.

"I was verbally abused."

"By who?"

He sighed, "my uncle. See, my parents were away for a whole year, when I was nine years old, to do some job in Nicaragua. They said that they would be very busy but they'd be back. Of course I believed them. They were telling the truth. They left me with my Uncle Ramsey. I stayed in Bulgaria for a while with him. It was only us in this huge farm in the middle of nowhere. I knew he only said to make himself feel good. He was once married, except his maddening attitude drove his wife away with his kids. He had lost everything, even his job, that summer. My parents didn't know about it. he'd get drunk every other day. Those were the good days, when I could hide from him easily, and he'd knock out from alcohol somewhere in that huge house. but when he didn't I swore I could not hear the end of it. he ranted at me every time he could. Every one of those days was playing hide-and-seek for a little piece of mind. I felt I would go insane, every second in the dinner table. He always found something wrong with me. Too white. Too skinny. Not strong enough. Stupid. Pathetic.

Two weeks before my parents would be arriving to pick me up, he died of a stroke."

"A stroke?"

"Yeah, he died of a stroke. I didn't know what to do. I waited for two days by the nearest road, for someone to pass by, and when a man in a blue suit did pass, I waved for him to stop, and I led him to the scene. The ministry can't detect, natural deaths, so when the muggle asked me what had happened, I told him that he was dead when I went to see him in his room. I explained that he was my uncle and that my parents would be arriving in two weeks for me from Nicaragua, but that there was no way of contacting them before hand. He asked me if I had any other relatives. I told him I did. He called the police and they came and took his body. They determined that he had died of a stroke. Meanwhile, the cops contacted my aunt Susanne who lived in France at that time. They delivered me to her, the next day and I remained with her and my cousins for the remainder of my parents absence. They said I looked very pale when they picked me up. I told them i had not gone out much lately. They didn't press on, but I knew that they noticed how I was very quiet until my parents arrived. When I saw my mother enter through the foyer, my eyes immediately drowned in tears. She took me in her arms and my father asked what had happened. He of course referred to my uncle, but I told them how cruel the stay at his house had been. My father became quieter and angrier with every word; no child would say such horrendous things about his recently deceased uncle. My mother cried with me, as I screamed my complaints."

Gaele looked at his still calm face. His eyes closed and his face towards the sky. She didn't know exactly what she could say, so she remained silent.

"It is from him that I gained this dislike for people like that. I probably would have hated him had he not died. I forgive him. I'm pretty sure he knows that by know…I forgive him for giving me the cruelest year of my life."

"Ian….I can only say that I am sorry for that year of your life."

Ian opened his eyes and took her around the shoulders sitting up and giving her a hug. She sat up and hugged him in return.

"I'm okay now. Everyone has to loose their innocence sometime in their life."

"Yeah. Just yours was so brutal." Gaele said to his back.

Ian let go, and looked her in the eye. He smiled at her and lay back down. "Shit happens.

Gaele sighed and laid her head on his chest, he stroked her hair.


End file.
